Spring-tire.



w. m: FREES. SPRING TIRE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1914.

1,156,348. Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

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WILLIAM DE FREES, OF HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-TIRE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 12, 1915.

Application filed June 24, 1914. Serial No. 847,006.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, 1V ILLIAM DE Fnnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hawthorne, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a spring tire.

It is the object of this invention to provide a tire which is particularly adapted for use on automobiles and like vehicles as a substitute for the pneumatic rubber tires now generally in use, and which tire is so constructed as to have the same general appearance and characteristics of such pneumatic tires.

A further object is to provide a one-piece metallic the so constructed as to beresilient and thereby cushion shocks delivered thereto.

Another object is to provide a one-piece continuous metallic tire so constructed that it may be readily attached and removed from a wheel folly and which, by reason of its metallic character, is strong and durable and obviates inflation and difficulties incident to punctures as are common in inllatable rubber tires. i

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the lower portion of a wheel showing the tire as applied thereto. Fig. 2 an enlarged detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the construction of the tire and illustrating the manner of mounting same on the wheel telly.

More specifically, 3 indicates the Wheel telly which is mounted on spokes 4: carried by a hub 5 in the manner common in wheel construction. This wheel felly 3 is the ordinary felly, preferably rectangular in cross-section, and usually formed of wood The tire constituting the present invention comprises a'sheet metal structure constructed in the form of'an annubu; tube 6 which comprises the main body portion of.

the tire and the outer circumferential portion of which constitutes the tread thereof.

The tube 6 is open on its inner perimeter and the metal of which it is formed, preferably sheet steel, is turned upwardlyand outwardly to form U-shaped sections 7 and 8 on the inner periphery ofthe tire; the up-v per portions of the U-shaped members 7 and 8 extending outwardly in opposite directions to each other to form seat portions 9 and 10 on which the outer periphery of the telly 3 is adaptedto rest and be engaged by the tire when the latter is in place, as shown in Fig. 2. I

The outer ends of the oppositely extemt ing seat portions 9 and 10 are bent upwardly to extend on opposite sides of the fellv 3, thus forming annular flanges 11 and These flanges 11 and 12 are turned inwardly toward each other at their upper edges and terminate in lip portions 13 and 1% exteur; ing parallel with the inner faces ot the flanges 11 and 12 against the sides of the telly 3. Flanges and 12 including the lip portions I iare slit radially from the upper annular edgesdownwardly to the seat portions 9 and 10 as at -a-, clearly shown in Fig. 1 or the drawing to permit the tir'ebeing readily assembled on the telly 3 of the wheel.

and adapted to abut- To mount the tire on the wheel telly the flanges 11 and 12 and the U-shaped portions '7 and 8 are spread apart, as indicated dotted lines in Fig. 2,to permit the crowding of the felly between. the portions 7 and 8 that the telly may be introduced into position within the tire; the telly being withdrawn from between the U-shaped poi tions 7 and 8 when the telly is encircled by the tire so as to be disposed within the channel formed bythe flanges 11 and 12 and seated on the portions 9 and 10.

To secure the tire in place the flanges 11 and 12 are formed with opposed perform tions 15 and 16 which register with transverse perforations 17 formed in the telly 3 and bolts 18 are passed through the pe terations 15 and 16 and 17, as shown in Big. 2, and nuts 19 are screwed thereon to clamp the tongues 13 and 14 againstlthe opposite sides of the felly 3., The nuts 19 are tightened sufiiciently to place the'tongucs 13 and 14. under tension which will cause the tongues to exert an outward pressure on the flanges 1.1 and 12 and at the same time permit a slight lateral. spring movement 01' the llangesll. and 12 in relation to the telly In the operationof the invention, when load is imposed upon the wheels and the tread portion of the tire is restmg on the ground the load will he cushioned on the U- shaped portions 7 and 8 and the curved portions of the tire which have sufficient re fere'ntiai perifiheryof a'n'rheelv feiiy'and haying oppositelyentending ii-shfiapeci' porv siliencygto absorb the sheeks deliveredgte the tire.

ii has I claim is; v "1.

A spring tire; eomprising an annular metallic tube substantially circular in cross section having apposite extending U-shaped pertiens extending alfolinci its inner periphery tenminatin'g at theifouter" edges in flanges adapted toeiifiend en gnopos'ifee sides of 'the: wheel; feily; and spring tongues formeci on ih'e inner edges "bi" said flanges extending parallel therewith adapted to been against the) (apposite sides of the ii'heelfeiigg.

93A vehicle tire; ebinprising ainhe of 1 silient' metal bent to confer'in to ihe' circuin tions on its inner periphery terminating in outwardly extending portions adapted to en gage the enter periphery of theywheel felly and terminating in flanges adapted to eX- tend on Opposite sides of the Wheel feiiy, .inwardiy extending tongues. on saidefianges adapted to bear, against theflsides of the Wheel felly, and means for securing said flanges to the fellyglwhe rehy said tongues are flveeni'ls each, by addcressing the Qdm missiene; ei'geitenm 'WaShinmmmfi'G.

WILLIAM 15 magi 

